DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because “NG-RAM” in the second box in Figure 13 should be replaced with “NG-RAN”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-17, 28, 30 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Udalcovs et al. (US Pub. 2025/0220604).
Regarding claims 1 and 28, Udalcovs teaches a method for wireless communication, comprising:
receiving a time synchronization area that covers a location for a user equipment (UE) (“PRA information (which is the CA information or is derived from the CA information) identifying a PRA and UID” in [0072]); and providing, based on the time synchronization area and the UE, a time to the UE for synchronization (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) … based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE” in [0073]).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Udalcovs teaches the time synchronization area comprises a cell list, a tracking area (TA), or a TA list (“The AoI information comprises the CA information (e.g., TAI list)” in [0037]).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Udalcovs teaches the location comprises a service area in which the UE can receive a time synchronization signal, wherein the time synchronization signal is not provided to the UE when the UE is outside of the service area (“TS service may be activated … when it determines … that the targeted UE(s) are present IN the specified CA. If the targeted UE(s) move OUT the requested CA, … deactivates the … TS service” in [0032]).
Regarding claim 4, Udalcovs teaches a time sensitive control function receives information on whether the location is in the service area (“After receiving notification 264, TSCTSF 203 will determine whether the UE has entered or left the CA” in [0039]).
Regarding claim 5, Udalcovs teaches Udalcovs teaches the time sensitive control function comprises a Time Sensitive Communication Time Synchronization Function (TSCTSF) or a Time Sensitive Networking Adaptation Function (TSN AF) (“TSCTSF 203” in [0039]).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Udalcovs teaches the TSCTSF or TSN AF enables a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) port in a Device Side Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Translator (DS-TT) when the location is in the service area (“in response to determining that the UE has entered the CA, TSCTSF 203 may configure and initialize a PTP instance in a Device-side Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Translator (DS-TT) associated with the UE and may construct a port management information (PMI) container (PMIC) containing PMI (a PMI example is shown in Table 5.28.3.1-1 of TS 23.501) to activate the time synchronization services in the DS-TT” in [0040]) and disables the PTP port in the DS-TT when the location is outside the service area (“in response to determining that the UE has departed the CA, TSCTSF 203 may disable the PTP instance in the DS-TT and delete the TS service configuration (e.g., PMIC) for the PTP instance” in [0041]).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Udalcovs teaches the UE is identified for the location by a UE identification or a UE address (“an ID associated with at least a first UE (e.g., the ID is associated only with the first UE, the ID is associated with a group of UEs that includes the first UE, or the ID identifies any UE)” in [0010]).
Regarding claim 8, Udalcovs teaches the receiving and the providing are by a base station (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) … based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]), wherein an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) provides the time synchronization area to the base station (“When the AMF detects the UE has entered/left the PRA, the AMF notifies the PCF by sending notification message” in [0072]).
Regarding claim 9, Udalcovs teaches determining when the UE is in the time synchronization area (“When the AMF detects the UE has entered/left the PRA” in [0072]); and providing, only when the UE is in the time synchronization area, a time to the UE for time synchronization for the UE (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) or remove the 5G AS TDI based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]).
Regarding claim 10, Udalcovs teaches the receiving is by an AMF, which receives the time synchronization area that covers a location for a user equipment (UE) (“send to the AMF a subscribe message 528 containing PRA information (which is the CA information or is derived from the CA information) identifying a PRA and UID” in [0072]), wherein the method further comprises: sending an indication of whether time synchronization is provided to the UE from base station (see “When the AMF detects the UE has entered/left the PRA, the AMF notifies the PCF by sending notification message” in [0072] and (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) or remove the 5G AS TDI based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]).
Regarding claims 11 and 35, Udalcovs teaches providing a time synchronization area (“PRA information (which is the CA information or is derived from the CA information) identifying a PRA and UID” in [0072]); and receiving a notification of whether a user equipment (UE) is within the time synchronization area (“the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA” in [0073]).
Regarding claim 14, Udalcovs teaches the providing is from a Time Sensitive Communication Time Synchronization Function (TSCTSF) or a Time Sensitive Networking Adaptation Function (TSN AF) to a base station (see “TSCTSF 203 sends to a UDM 204 a subscription request 256 comprising the ID and the CA information (list of TAIs)” in [0035] and “deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) … based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]).
Regarding claim 17, Udalcovs teaches the providing is to a base station (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) or remove the 5G AS TDI based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]), wherein the method is further comprising: determining, by a base station, when the identified UE is in the time synchronization area (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) or remove the 5G AS TDI based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]); and providing, from the base station to the UE, the time synchronization signal, wherein the time synchronization signal is only provided when the UE is in the time synchronization area (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) or remove the 5G AS TDI based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]).
Regarding claim 30, Udalcovs teaches a system for wireless communication comprising:
a Time Sensitive Communication Time Synchronization Function (TSCTSF) for providing a time synchronization area (see “TSCTSF 203 then sends to the PCF a request 526 (e.g., Npcf_AMPolicyAuthorization_Update request) containing the CA information” in [0071] and “PRA information (which is the CA information or is derived from the CA information) identifying a PRA and UID” in [0072]); and a base station communicating with the TSCTSF to receive the time synchronization area, wherein the base station provides a time synchronization signal to a user equipment (UE) when the UE is within the time synchronization area (“deliver 5G AS Time Distribution information (TDI) … based on whether the notification indicates the UE has entered or left the PRA … the NG-RAN node provides the 5GS access stratum time to the UE according to the Uu time synchronization error budget as provided by the TSCTSF” in [0073]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLEMENCE S HAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3158. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Edan Orgad can be reached at (571)272-7884. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CLEMENCE S HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
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